ATHLETIC AND CYCLING UNION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20317, 27 January 1928, Page 10

ATHLETIC AND CYCLING UNION

A -neeting; of the executive of the Otago Centre of the New Zealand Athletic and Cycling Union was held in the rooms of the Y.M.C.A. last night. The president (IVfr G. Bruce) occupied the chair. The Secretary (Mr J. D. Forbes) said he had received a communication from the Kurow Athletic Club asking for affiliation to the union and for permission to hold a meeting at Kurow on March 23. Mr Forbes said that the Kurow Club was composed of a good body of sports, and that, it was putting on a very fine programme. The applications were granted, and Messrs R. B. Meek and J. M'Leod were appointed to represent the union at the meeting. Permission was granted the Maheno Club to hold a sports meeting on April 7, and the Enfield Club to hold a meeting on April 9.—Messrs A. M. Kilgour and J. Matheson were appointed to represent the union at the Maheno meeting, and Messrs J. Newland and G. Bruce the union’s representatives at the Enfield meeting. The Secretary reported that he had replied to the Waikouaiti Club stating that it would be impossible to grant it permission to include amateur events on its programme. At the present time there was a resolution on the union’s books to the effect that no amateur events could be included on any programme controlled by the union. The Dunedin Cash Club had applied to the Amateur Athletic Association asking permission to include amateur events on its programme, but the Amateur Association had refused its permission. As a result, the executive of the union had no option but to pass the resolution allowing no amateur events on cash programmes. The Chairman said that he had met Mr A. H. Bremner, the secretary of the Waikouaiti Club, when he had been coming tb Dunedin that day. He had explained the position to Mr Bremner, and had pointed out that if the amateur body would reciprocate with the union, the union w ’di be prepared to remove the embargo, and allow amateur races to be run at its meetings. Mr Meek said there was room for both branches of athletics, and it was d regrettable state of affairs that an arrangement could not be come to between the two bodies.

Mr Kilgour said that the union had held out. tho hand of friendship to the Dunedin Amateur Association, but it had declined to accept it. If the amateur body was willing to work with them, they would be willing to work with the amateurs. Mr Forbes s aid that in North Otago they were out to assist any kind of sport, and thev felt that the Dunedin Amateur Association wag not treating the cash body in Dunedin fairly. If the amateur did not bold out the olive branch to the Dunedin cash winners, how could the amateurs expect the union to assist them so far as the country meetings vvere concerned? Mr Kilgour said ho thought the Waikouaiti Club was holding its meeting on an unsuitable date. It wa s clashing with Enfield in wanting Easter Monday. Ho added that the resolution standing on the books of the union was going to affect very seriously the position of amateur events in country programmes. After further discussion, in which it. wag pointed out that the union was bound by it s resolution, it was decided, on the motion of Mr Polwarth, seconded by Mr Wylie, to inform the Waikouaiti Club that it could not bo given permission to include amateur events on its programme. It was decided, on the motion of Mr W. Renwick, to grant permission to the Waikouaiti Club to hold a sports meeting on Easter_ Monday, but to point out that the executive considered it would be in the club's advantage lo select a more suitable date in future years.